LA PALMA, Calif. -- BP has corrected a number of inaccurate media reports that the ARCO brand would be withdrawn from Southern California.
After reports Saturday that the retail network of gas stations was leaving the region, company spokesperson Scott Dean told the Contra Costa Times and other media outlets that the reports have "been blown way out of proportion."
In a statement, the company said that it remains committed to the ARCO and ampm convenience store brands.
There are about 920 ARCO-branded stations in Southern California operated by independent dealers and franchisees. Approximately 130 of these ARCO-branded retail sites were leased from Thrifty Oil Co. The leases of these 130 sites will expire over the next two years and will revert back to Thrifty. The other 790 ARCO-branded sites are unaffected, the company said.
BP announced plans to divest its Carson, California refinery and Southern California retail network in February 2011. The company intends to sell the refinery, associated businesses and the ARCO-branded retail network in 2012 as an on-going business. A number of prospective buyers have already expressed interest in the refinery and ARCO brand.
The London-based company, with U.S. headquarters in La Palma, Calif. (West), and Warrenville, Ill. (East), markets more than 15 billion gallons of gasoline every year to U.S. consumers through more than 11,000 BP- and ARCO-branded retail outlets and supplies more than four billion gallons of fuel annually to fleets, industrial users, auto and truck manufacturers, railroads and utilities. More than 1,300 ARCO-branded sites currently operate in five western states: California, Nevada, Oregon, Washington and Arizona.
BP is the single, global brand formed by the combination of the former British Petroleum, Amoco, Atlantic Richfield (ARCO) and Burmah Castrol. BP is a global producer, manufacturer and marketer of oil, gas, chemicals and renewable energy sources.
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